diff --git a/CHANGES.txt b/CHANGES.txt
index 9302c718a7d3..5322d2e27bc4 100644
--- a/CHANGES.txt
+++ b/CHANGES.txt
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@
  * Allow using number as DC name when creating keyspace in CQL (CASSANDRA-3239)
  * Force flush of system table after updating/removing a token (CASSANDRA-3243)
  * Make Pig storage handle implements LoadMetadata (CASSANDRA-2777)
-
+ * Improved CLI exceptions (CASSANDRA-3312)
 
 0.8.6
  * revert CASSANDRA-2388
diff --git a/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/cli/CliClient.java b/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/cli/CliClient.java
index f1495ccc23ab..2c127c42a524 100644
--- a/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/cli/CliClient.java
+++ b/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/cli/CliClient.java
@@ -301,9 +301,7 @@ public void executeCLIStatement(String statement)
         }
         catch (SchemaDisagreementException e)
         {
-        	RuntimeException rtEx = new RuntimeException("schema does not match across nodes, (try again later).");
-            rtEx.initCause(e);
-            throw new RuntimeException();
+        	throw new RuntimeException("schema does not match across nodes, (try again later).", e);
         }
         catch (Exception e)
         {
@@ -552,7 +550,7 @@ private AbstractType getFormatType(String compareWith)
             {
                 StringBuilder errorMessage = new StringBuilder("Unknown comparator '" + compareWith + "'. ");
                 errorMessage.append("Available functions: ");
-                throw new RuntimeException(errorMessage.append(Function.getFunctionNames()).toString());
+                throw new RuntimeException(errorMessage.append(Function.getFunctionNames()).toString(), e);
             }
         }
 
@@ -778,7 +776,7 @@ private void executeGetWithConditions(Tree statement)
             }
             catch (Exception e)
             {
-                throw new RuntimeException(e.getMessage());
+                throw new RuntimeException(e);
             }
         }
 
@@ -807,11 +805,11 @@ private void executeGetWithConditions(Tree statement)
         }
         catch (InvalidRequestException e)
         {
-            throw new RuntimeException(e.getWhy());
+            throw new RuntimeException(e);
         }
         catch (Exception e)
         {
-            throw new RuntimeException(e.getMessage());
+            throw new RuntimeException(e);
         }
     }
 
@@ -894,7 +892,7 @@ else if (columnSpecCnt == 1)
             }
             catch (Exception e)
             {
-                throw new RuntimeException(e.getMessage());
+                throw new RuntimeException(e);
             }
         }
 
@@ -961,7 +959,7 @@ else if (columnSpecCnt == 2)
             }
             catch (Exception e)
             {
-                throw new RuntimeException(e.getMessage());
+                throw new RuntimeException(e);
             }
         }
 
@@ -1004,11 +1002,11 @@ private void executeAddKeySpace(Tree statement)
         }
         catch (InvalidRequestException e)
         {
-            throw new RuntimeException(e.getWhy());
+            throw new RuntimeException(e);
         }
         catch (Exception e)
         {
-            throw new RuntimeException(e.getMessage(), e);
+            throw new RuntimeException(e);
         }
     }
 
@@ -1034,11 +1032,11 @@ private void executeAddColumnFamily(Tree statement)
         }
         catch (InvalidRequestException e)
         {
-            throw new RuntimeException(e.getWhy());
+            throw new RuntimeException(e);
         }
         catch (Exception e)
         {
-            throw new RuntimeException(e.getMessage(), e);
+            throw new RuntimeException(e);
         }
     }
 
@@ -1065,11 +1063,11 @@ private void executeUpdateKeySpace(Tree statement)
         }
         catch (InvalidRequestException e)
         {
-            throw new RuntimeException(e.getWhy());
+            throw new RuntimeException(e);
         }
         catch (Exception e)
         {
-            throw new RuntimeException(e.getMessage(), e);
+            throw new RuntimeException(e);
         }
     }
 
@@ -1099,11 +1097,11 @@ private void executeUpdateColumnFamily(Tree statement)
         }
         catch (InvalidRequestException e)
         {
-            throw new RuntimeException(e.getWhy());
+            throw new RuntimeException(e);
         }
         catch (Exception e)
         {
-            throw new RuntimeException(e.getMessage(), e);
+            throw new RuntimeException(e);
         }
     }
 
@@ -1163,7 +1161,7 @@ private KsDef updateKsDefAttributes(Tree statement, KsDef ksDefToUpdate)
                 }
                 catch (UnknownHostException e)
                 {
-                    throw new RuntimeException(e.getMessage());
+                    throw new RuntimeException(e);
                 }
 
                 ksDef.setStrategy_options(options);
@@ -2180,7 +2178,7 @@ else if (metaKey.equals("index_name"))
             }
             catch (TException e)
             {
-                throw new RuntimeException(e.getMessage(), e);
+                throw new RuntimeException(e);
             }
 
             columnDefinitions.add(columnDefinition);
@@ -2211,7 +2209,7 @@ private IndexType getIndexTypeFromString(String indexTypeAsString)
             }
             catch (IllegalArgumentException ie)
             {
-                throw new RuntimeException("IndexType '" + indexTypeAsString + "' is unsupported.");
+                throw new RuntimeException("IndexType '" + indexTypeAsString + "' is unsupported.", ie);
             }
         }
 
@@ -2240,7 +2238,7 @@ private ByteBuffer getBytesAccordingToType(String object, AbstractType comparato
         }
         catch (MarshalException e)
         {
-            throw new RuntimeException(e.toString());
+            throw new RuntimeException(e);
         }
     }
     
@@ -2355,7 +2353,7 @@ private ByteBuffer columnValueAsBytes(ByteBuffer columnName, String columnFamily
                 }
                 catch (Exception e)
                 {
-                    throw new RuntimeException(e.getMessage(), e);
+                    throw new RuntimeException(e);
                 }
             }
         }
@@ -2491,7 +2489,7 @@ else if (validator instanceof BytesType)
         }
         catch (Exception e)
         {
-            throw new RuntimeException(e.getMessage());
+            throw new RuntimeException(e);
         }
     }
 
@@ -2512,7 +2510,7 @@ public static AbstractType getTypeByFunction(String functionName)
         {
             StringBuilder errorMessage = new StringBuilder("Function '" + functionName + "' not found. ");
             errorMessage.append("Available functions: ");
-            throw new RuntimeException(errorMessage.append(Function.getFunctionNames()).toString());
+            throw new RuntimeException(errorMessage.append(Function.getFunctionNames()).toString(), e);
         }
 
         return function.getValidator();